Floating suction for submersible pump



Aug. 21,` 1963 Filed Oct. 7, 1960 FLOATING SUCTION FOR SUBMERSIBLE PUMP E. E. REED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. E. E. REED BY MMM A rro/PNEV:

Aug. 27, 1963 E. E. REED FLOATING SUCTION FOR SUBMERSIBLE PUMP Filed oct. '7, 1960 2 SheetsfSheet 2 35 J A 345"2 v 42/ INVENTOR. .E. EED

NM1/EM A T TORNE K9 nite Sttes 3,101,874 FLOATING SUCTEGN FOR SUBMERSIBLE PUMP Edwin E. Reed, Bartlesville, Ghia., assigner to lhiliips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Get. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 61,308

6 Claims. (Cl. Z22- 335) of the aircraft. The main foreign matter which in-` advertently is present in liquid fuel storage tanks is Ivvater. Liquid water ordinarily is not passed into the fuel storage tank-with the fuel to be stored 'because such fuels are ordinarily dewatered and filtered before they are placed in the storage tank. However, during normal breathing of a tank, particularly above ground storage tanks, moist air is drawn into the tanks. Such breathing takes place from night to day and from day to night due to the temperature changes. Fuel tanks are usuallyvented to the atmosphere and a portion lof the moisture in Ithe air entering the tank through the vent may be 'condensed to liquid water. Underground tanks, however, do little breathing as a result `of daily temperature changes. However, Iduring withdrawal of liquid from underground and yfrom albove ground storage tanks moist air is drawn into the tanks. Thus, Water is present in such storage tanks even though it does not accompany the liquid fuel to be stored.

Condensed moisture, as water, is more dense than the fuel being stored and thus settles to the bottom of the storage tank. I'f the suction to the fuel withdrawal pump took suction from the bottom of the tank, some small quantities of Water fcould Very easily be withdrawn from the tank and passed with the -fuel to the airplane `fuel tanks. Obviously water in airplane fuel tanks is to be avoided at all costs.

An advantage in the use of a floating suction for withdrawal of` liquid fuel from ya fuel storage tank is that the liquid is always withdrawn from a level at least nearthe surface of the liquid. Since fuel pumped into the tank for future use is ordinarily pumped into the tank at a level near the bottom then withdrawal of fuel from the top surface of the tank always makes certain that none of the yfuel is allowed to remain in the tank for su-liicient periods to become deteriorated. While it is diicult to reason that mixing of fuel in a given tank is not relatively complete Iduring introduction of new duel mixing is not complete at such a time as when the tank is nearly full.

An ofbg'ect of this invention is to provide an etlcient tl'oating pump suction for use with submersible pumps for Withdrawal of liquid from storage tanks. Another olbject of this invention is to provide a pump suction for use in underground tanks which permits easy installation and removal of submersible pumps. Still another object of this invention is to provide such floating pump suctions for use vvith large capacity pumps. Still another object of this invention is toprovide such a pump suction which is relatively simple, easy to install, andV which requires little to no maintenance. Still other objects and advantages of this invention will be realized upon reading the following ydescription which, taken with the attached drawing, forms a part of this specification.

In the `drawing FIGURE 1 is an elevational View, partly in section, of 4one form of the invention. FIG- URE 2 is a plan view of a portion of a tank provided loi can be lowered into or raised from the tank. An adapter 3*, l i ,371i Patented Aug. 27, i953 with the pump suction of this invention and taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE l. l'FIGURE 3 is an elevationalview looking at a portion of the apparatus of FIG- URE 2 from the line 3 3. FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, with parts `broken away of a portion of the pump suction of this invention of an enlarged scale.

In the drawing reference numeral 11 identities a fuel storage tank of circular cross section positioned below the surface 12 of the ground. A pipe 21 connected with tank 11 provides a conduit through which a pump 13 17, which is actually a pipe reducer is connected with the vupper end of pipe 21 and leads to a head 1S. Head 15 is substantially a pipe cross with one outlet being plugged, another outlet being provided with a plug or blanking plate and the third outlet being connected to a discharge pipe 16.

Reference numeral 13 identifies a pump, for example a submersible centrifugal pump, whichdischarges liquid upwardly through a tulbing 14 for passage through `the discharge pipe 16. The lower `end of pump 13 extends through an adapter guide 23 and into huid-tight relation With a pipe L 29.

The construction of the oating suction and its support is better understood upon reference to FIGURE 4. A pair of angle irons 38 are welded at 57 to the bottom surface of the tank shell 11 and parallel to each other.

Immediately on the top surface of these angle irons are positioned a pair of plates 37, each plate extending from fone angle-iron to the other in a form to provide a base for a superstructure. Plates 37 are attached to angle irons 38 by bolts 39. 4On the top surface of plates 37 are Iwelded the lower ends of vertically positioned angle Iirons Sil by welds 4i). On the upper ends of the angle irons 51 are disposed apair of plates 35 -shaped as illustrated in FIGURE 4. On the top surface of plates `35 is disposed a threaded flange 28 which is provided with threads karound its inner circumference. On the top surface of the ange 2S is disposed a modified reducing ilange 26. A plurality of bolts 34 holds the` modified relducing flange to the threaded llange 2S with an asbestos gasket Sti in Ibetween the two flanges. The small plates 35 are welded at welds d2 to the upper ends of the angle irons 5-1. As will be seen on reference to FIGURE 4 each plate 3S is provided with two `bolt holes 34a for accommodation of bolts 36. The bolts 36 which extend through holes 34a in plates 35 are longer than the remainder of the bolts 34.

`On top of the upper surface of the modilied reducing flange 26 is positioned the lower end ange 24 of an adapter guide 22. This adapter guide is in general funnel-shaped with the guide or open funnel end 23 being open upward. A central section or collar 25 of the adapter guide is integeral at its upper end with the lower end of the funnel and the lovver end of the collar being integral with the adapter 'guide llange 24. Bolt holes are provided in the adapter `liange 24 and the bolts 34 and 36 extend through those holes as well as through the corresponding holes in the reducing flange and the threaded flange.

A pipe L 29 contains threads 4i? for threading into the threads of the Vflange 28 prior to assembly yof the several anges with the adapter lguide flange. To the lower end lof the L 29 is operably attached a swivel 30. A pipe L 33 is attached operably to the Iother side of the swivel 30 so that the far end of L 33 can be rotated around the swivel as the center. L 33 is provided with a flange 32 fOr attachment of the flange 'of a suction tube 31. This suction tube or pipe 311 has an appreciable length and its far end extends for some distance from the portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 4.

3 To the far end of the suction tube 31 is attached by welding another L 58, as shown in FIGURE 3, with its free end extending generally downward. The idistant end of L 5S terminates as a lip 52. This lip 52 is intended to be a spacing means for preventing the open end of L 58 from taking suction `off the bottom surface of the tank at such a time that the liquid level in the tank is low. A float S3f1can, if desired, be a small drutm of from for example 6 to 10 gallons capacity. The tloat is attached to the L 58 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. The means illustrated for attaching the float to the L involves use orf metal straps S4 which are fastened to the L by a ygusset 55 which in turn is attached to the L by welds 56.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 a pump adapter 27 is threaded at 41 for attachment of the lower end of pump 13. Adapter 27 is provided with a large diameter flange 59 which is actually a guide ilange and as the pump 13 with adapter 27 threaded to the bottom thereof is lowered through the opening 60 in the top of the wall of the tank 11 this funnel-shaped guide 23 in cooperation with ange `5"9 directs the lower end of the pump into its operable position with respect to the floating suction. The lower end of the adapter 27 is beveled about 15 on surface 46 to assist in centering the pump during its installation. Pump adapter 27 is intended to pass downward with its lower end extending all the way through the reducing ange 26 until a surface 6l of the adapter 27 contacts the beveled surface 47 of the flange 26. When the adapter 27 is in its fully lowered position an O-ring 43 provides a seal between the adapter 27 and the reducing flange 26 so that nothing can enter the pump suction from the funnel-shaped guide member Z2.

Both holes 44 in flanges 26 and 28 are for accommodation of bolts 34. Reference numeral 43 identifies the threads on the inner surface of flange 2S.

Adapter 17 consists of a large ange 18 for attachment to a corresponding flange on the top of pipe 21, flange 19 corresponding to a ange on the lower end of the cross 15. Flanges 18 and 19 are connected and held spaced with relation to one another by a short length of pipe 2.0. The pump tubing 14 extends through anges 18 and 19 and pipe section ZO to the inlet side ofthe cross 15.

In the operation of the apparatus of this invention since the adapter 27 is threaded fluid-tight to the bottom end of the pump 13 and the adapter 27 ts iiuidtight within flange 26. No fluid whatever can get to the suction of the pump other than that which is transmitted through the floating suction portion of the apparatus herein disclosed.

In this manner there is no drawdown with the possibility of sucking the vapor into the suction of the pump because liquid cannot reach the suction of the pump suliiciently rapidly.

`In some prior art iioating suction apparatus having a casing surrounding the pump, the pump can draw down liquid in the casing and go on vapor when the floating suction cannot provide liquid suiciently rapidly to the pump suction. In such a case the capacity of the pump should be limited by the rate of flow by gravity of the liquid to be pumped through the tioating suction to the area at the suction end of the pump. `In case the pump is a high capacity pump and being suspended freely in a well open only to the oating suction it could pump liquid faster than the liloating suction could supply it and thus go on vapor. Obviously as will be realized by those skilled in the art a pump designed to pump liquid should not be allowed to go on vapor. In the present case no liquid whatever can enter the suction of the pump excepting that which cornes through the floating suction line. Thus, there is no pumpdown when using the apparatus of this invention.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been t described for illustrative purposes, the invention obviously is not limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

l. Apparatus for recovering liquid from a container comprising, in combination, a funnel-shaped guide supported by an inner surface of the wall of said container, said guide hav-ing an opening throughout its length with its axis vertically oriented, the larger diameter end of said guide being open upwardly, a hollow cylindrical sleeve attached to the smaller diameter end of said guide and extending downwardly therefrom, a flange extending around the lower end of said sleeve and having a smaller inner diameter than the inner diameter of said sleeve, a collar within said sleeve and companionable with said flange, a conduit having one end positioned huid-tight with respect to the lower portion of said flange, the other end of said conduit being a oatable suction end, a swivel operatively connecting the ioatable suction end with said one end of said conduit, a pump having its discharge end uppermost and a bottom suction end seated huid-tight with respect to said collar, a vertically positioned discharge tube leading from the discharge end of said pump to a level above the tank and means for actuating said pump.

2. Apparatus for recovering liquid from a below ground container comprising, in combination, a funnelshaped guide supported by the inner surface of the bottom wall of said container, said guide having an opening throughout its length with its axis vertically oriented, the larger diameter end of said guide being open upwardly, an inner flange within and around the entire inner surface of the wall of the smaller diameter portion of said guide, a conduit having one end positioned uidtight with respect to the lower end portion of said guide, the other end of said conduit being a oatable suction end, a swivel operatively connecting the floatable suction end with said one end of said conduit, spacing means attached to said other end of said conduit maintaining lsaid other end of said conduit at a spaced distance from the container bottom at the lowermost end of movement of said other end of said conduit, a collar companionable with said inner flange, said collar extending fluid-tight into said flange and being removable therefrom, a pump having its discharge end uppermost and its suction end attached huid-tight to said collar, a discharge tube leading from the upper and discharge end of said pump vertically upward to above ground and means for actuating said pump.

3. In the apparatus of claim 2, wherein said one end of said conduit comprises a conduit L, the other and oatable suction end of said conduit also having a conduit L operatively attached thereto with its free end pointing downward, a spacing lip on said free end maintaining said free end at a spaced distance from the container bottom at the lowermost end of movement of said iloatable suction end of said conduit, and said swivel operatively connecting the Ls.

4. Apparatus for recovering liquid from a below ground container comprising, in combination, a guide supported by the inner surface of the bottom wall of said container, said guide having an opening throughout its length with its axis vertically oriented, said guide being open upwardly, an inner flange within and around the entire inner wall of said guide, a conduit having one end positioned `huid-tight with respect to the lower end portion of said guide, the other end of said conduit being a iloatable suction end, a swivel operatively connecting the oatable suction end with said one end of said conduit, a collar companionable with said inner ilange, said collar extending huid-tight into said ange and being removable therefrom, a pump having its discharge end uppermost and having its suction end attached uid-tight to said collar, a vertically positioned discharge tube leading the discharge end of said pump to above ground and means for actuating said pump.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,890,984 Gulick Dec. 13, 1932 1() Gulick Mar. s, 1940 Brooks Apr. 29, 1958 Edwards Aug. 18, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 9, 1948 

1. APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING LIQUID FROM A CONTAINER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FUNNEL-SHAPED GUIDE SUPPORTED BY AN INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID GUIDE HAVING AN OPENING THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH WITH ITS AXIS VERTICALLY ORIENTED, THE LARGER DIAMETER END OF SAID GUIDE BEING OPEN UPWARDLY, A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE ATTACHED TO THE SMALLER DIAMETER END OF SAID GUIDE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, A FLANGE EXTENDING AROUND THE LOWER END OF SAID SLEEVE AND HAVING A SMALLER INNER DIAMETER THAN THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID SLEEVE, A COLLAR WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND COMPANIONABLE WITH SAID FLANGE, A CONDUIT HAVING ONE END POSITIONED FLUID-TIGHT WITH RESPECT TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FLANGE, THE OTHER END OF SAID CONDUIT BEING A FLOATABLE SUCTION END, A SWIVEL OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE FLOATABLE SUCTION END WITH SAID ONE END OF SAID CONDUIT, A PUMP HAVING ITS DISCHARGE END UPPERMOST AND A BOTTOM SUCTION END SEATED FLUID-TIGHT WITH RESPECT TO SAID COLLAR, A VERTICALLY POSITIONED DISCHARGE TUBE LEADING FROM THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID PUMP TO A LEVEL ABOVE THE TANK AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID PUMP. 